Yarn piecing apparatus data communicating means and method

ABSTRACT

Data is originated from a textile yarn piecing apparatus movable along a textile yarn forming machine for locating and piecing up ends down thereon by monitoring operations of the yarn piecing apparatus, signaling certain states of the monitored operations and transmitting signals correlated to the states of the monitored operations.

United States Patent Lee, Jr.

[ 51 Aug. 1, 1972 YARN PIECING APPARATUS DATA COMMUNICATING MEANS ANDMETHOD Charles D. Lee, Jr., Charlotte, NC.

Parks-Cramer Company, Fitchburg, Mass.

Filed: Aug. 10, 1970 Appl. No.: 62,362

Inventor:

Assignee:

US. Cl. ..57/34 R, 57/81, 235/92 R Int. Cl. ..D0lh 15/00 Field of Search..57/1 R, 156, 34 R, 80, 81, 57/56; 235/92 R References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 3/1968 Gillono et a1 ..57/34 R T dillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllt 3,403,866 10/1968 Bell et a1 ..57/53 X3,445,997 5/ 1969 Escursell-Pratt ..57/34 R 3,486,319 12/1969 Lee, Jr.et al. ..57/34 R 3,498,039 3/1970 Kent et al ..57/34 R 3,523,413 8/1970Ford et a1 ..57/34 R 3,623,310 11/1971 Mulligan ..57/34 R PrimaryExaminer.lohn Petrakes Attorney-Parrott, Bell, Seltzer, Park & Gibson[57] ABSTRACT Data is originated from a textile yarn piecing apparatusmovable along a textile yarn forming machine for locating and piecing upends down thereon by monitoring operations of the yarn piecingapparatus, signaling certain states of the monitored operations andtransmitting signals correlated to the states of the monitoredoperations.

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YARN PIECING APPARATUS DATA COMMUNICATING MEANS AND METHOD Thisinvention is related to inventions owned in common with the presentinvention and disclosed in patents and applications entitled Apparatusand Method For Detecting, Piecing-up and Reporting Ends Down on SpinningMachines", U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,319 issued Dec. 30, I969, Apparatus andMethod For Detecting and Reporting Ends Down on Textile Machines, nowU.S. Pat. No. 3,523,413 issued Aug. 11, 1970; and Textile Machine'DataCommunicating Apparatus and Method filed Aug. 10, 1970 under Ser. No.62,363.

These related inventions propose that efficiency of operation of atextile yarn forming mill using machines such as spinning frames or thelike may be improved through the use of an automatic yarn piecingapparatus for locating and piecing-up ends down and throughcommunication and processing of data originating from a traveling unitsuch as an ends down detector. From the capabilities thus made availablefor improving the efficiency of operation of a spinning room or yarnforming mill, it has now been discovered that analyses of the operationof the mill may be aided by accomplishing monitoring of the yarn piecingapparatus.

More particularly a yarn piecing apparatus such as that disclosed in theaforementioned related U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,319 normally executes a cycleof operation for piecing up at each spindle or yarn forming locationwhere an end is detected as being down. With certain such apparatus, acycle will be carried out even though some failure in the operation ofthe yarn piecing apparatus or spinning mechanism prevents successfulpiecing up, such as the breaking of the length of yarn which otherwisewould join the body of yarn wound on a bobbin at the spindle toattenuated roving issuing from the spinning frame drafting system.Reporting of data concerning the operation of the spinningframe attendedby the yarn piecing apparatus will not necessarily discover such failureof the yarn piecing apparatus to piece-up.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to communicate froma yarn piecing apparatus data indicating the cause of any failure toproperly piece up an end detected to be down. In accomplishing thisobject of the present invention, means are mounted on the yarn piecingapparatus for monitoring at least one operation thereof and forsignaling certain states of the monitored operation. The signalledstates are then preferably encoded into a signal which is communicatedand processed to permit more detailed analyses of the operation of thetextile yarn piecing apparatus.

Some of the objects and advantages of the invention having been stated,others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an end elevation, in partial section, of a textile yarnpiecing apparatus incorporating the present invention, shown astraversing a textile yarn forming machine; a

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, partly broken away, of a textileyarn piecing apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of certain ele-' ments of theyarn piecing apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the yarn piecing'apparatus elementillustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the textile yarn piecingapparatus at one stage in the piecing up of an end down;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of means in accordance with thepresent invention for communicating the cause of a failure to properlypiece up an end down; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic electrical diagram of certain portions of themeans illustrated in block diagram form in FIG. 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, an apparatus generallyindicated at 10 is there disclosed as movable along a textile yarnforming machine 11 for locating ends down at spindle locationstherealong and for piecing up such ends down. The apparatus 10 as hereindisclosed is closely similar and substantially identical to theapparatus disclosed in aforementioned related U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,319(to which reference is made for more detailed and specific disclosure ofthe apparatus and its general function). The present invention, ashereinafter disclosed more fully, is particularly concernedwithcommunication of data indicative of reasons for failure of theapparatus 10 to properly piece up an end down at a spindle locationalong the yarn forming machine 11. As will be more fully understood by astudy of U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,319, an end piecing cycle as performed bythe apparatus 10 includes a sequence of particular operations, includingthe drawing from an auxiliary source of a length of yarn sufficient forpiecing up an end down, the threading of the length of yarn into adesired relationship with elements of the yarn forming machine 11 suchas a traveler on a spinning ring, and the joining of one end of thelength of yarn to attenuated roving issuing from drafting system of theyarn forming machine 11. Typical causes of a failure to properly pieceup an end down may include failure of a yarn piecing apparatus 10 toproperly draw the length of yarn necessary for piecing up an end down orbreaking of the length of yarn during the operations of threading up theyarn forming machine 11 and joining the length of yarn with attenuatedroving.

In accordance with the present invention, means are mounted on the yarnpiecing apparatus 10 for monitoring at least one operation thereof andfor signaling certain states of the monitored operation. Preferably, theoperation monitoring means mounted on the yarn piecing apparatuscomprises a plurality of yarn detecting means each sensing the presenceof yarn during a predetermined portion of the cycle of operation of theyarn piecing apparatus 10. In such sensing of the presence of yarn, theoperation monitoring means distinguish between the absence and presenceof yarn,

and thereby generate data signals .concerning the operation of the yarnpiecing apparatus 10 which may be communicated andprocessed to permitanalysis of the continuing function of the yarn piecing apparatus.

As mentioned briefly above, one cause of a failure to paratus 10includes a first yarn sensing electrical switch 20 (FIGS. 2 and 5),mounted upon a lower platform 21 of the yarn piecing apparatus 10. Thefirst yarn sensing switch 20 includes a feeler arm 22 extending across apath taken by a yarn Y between a supply package 24 and a- ,lowerdistending gripper 25. The yarn Y is threaded, in passing from thepackage 24 to the gripper 25, through a tensioning guide 26 so as topass adjacent the first switch 20 along a predetermined path of movementand under such conditions that, when the yarn is present, the actuatingarm 22 is sufficiently depressed so as to maintain the contacts of thefirst switch 20 in a first position. In the absence of the yarn Y, noforce is imposed against the arm 22 and the contacts of the first switch20 may move to an alternative position.

As is disclosed more fully in the aforementioned related U.S. Pat. No.3,486,319, an upperyarn gripper 28 is moved first downwardly and thenupwardly to engage a free end of the yarn Y and draw a length thereoffrom the supply package 24. In the event that the supply package 24becomes exhausted during this process and the length of yarn drawn isnot sufficient for piecing up an end down on the textile yarn formingmachine 11, the conductive state of the first switch 20 will changeduring the upward movement of the upper yarn gripper 28, registering theabsence of a length of yarn sufficient for piecing up an end down.Suchan occurrence is communicated to a data processing arrangement asdisclosed more fully hereinafter and may, by a suitable cooperation withthe cycle control means disclosed in FIGS. 22 and 23 of aforementionedU.S. Pat. No. 3,486,319, serve to abort continuation of a cycle ofpiecing up.

Another possible causeof failure in the piecing up of an end down is thebreaking of the length of yarn being used in piecing up of an end downduring the drawing of the length of yarn or during the threading up ofthe operating instrumentalities of the yarn forming machine 11. As willbe understood, the yarn piecing apparatus may function improperly inthat the yarn Y is broken between the lower yarn gripper 25 and theupper yarn gripper 28, while the upper yarn gripper 28 is moving towardthe elevated position and drawing out the length of yarn to be used inpiecing up an end. Such a break between the yarn grippers 25, 28 wouldnot be detected by the first switch 20. In' order to detect such apossible yarn breakage, a second switch 29 is mounted adjacent the upperyarn gripper 28 (FIGS. 3 and 4) for operation in conjunction therewith.

More particularly, the upper yarn gripper 28 is pivotally connected tothe bracket 30 from which gripper extends and is free to move arcuately(as indicated in FIG. 4') in response to tension imposed thereon by alength of yarn Y extending from the upper gripper 28 to the lowergripper 25. Should the yarn Y break during the drawing up of the lengthto be used in piecing up an end down, the upper yarn gripper 28 isreleased to move from the solid .line position to the phantom lineposition of FIG. 4. In the event that the upper gripper 28 is releasedfrom tension imposed thereon by a yarn Y, upon the yarn breaking, theconductive state of the second switch '29 is changed registering thatthe apparatus 10 has failed to piece up an end down due to prematurebreakage of the length of yarn being used. Continued presence of thelengthof yarn maintains a conductive state of the second switch 29unchanged throughout that portion of the cycle in which the yarn Ynormally is gripped by the upper gripper 28. As will be understood, thesecond switch 29 cooperates with the cycle control means of U.S. Pat.No. 3,486,319 in assuring that false indications of failure are notgiven by changes in the conductive state of the second switch at othertimes in the cycle and may cooperate in aborting continuance of a cycleof piecing up.

Similarly, the continued presence of the length of yarn being used inpiecing up an end down as the yarn is moved toward joining withattenuated roving issuing from the drafting systems of the yarn formingmachine 11 is determined by a third switch 31 mounted adjacent upperauxiliary yarn feed grippers 32 which clamp the lengthof yarn Y adjacentthe upper yarn gripper 28 during one portion of the cycle of operationof the yarn piecing apparatus 10. In similarity to the upper yarngripper 28, the upper auxiliary yarn clamp 32 is mounted for pivotalmovement relative to a carrier 34 on which the upper auxiliary gripper32 is mounted. Should the length of yarn Y continue to be present as theupper auxiliary gripper 32 moves toward the drafting systems of thetextile machine 11 (FIG. 5), the tension in the yarn Y pulls the upperauxiliary clamp 32 downwardly, to the phantom line position of FIG. 4.Should the length of yarn Y break during this operation, the upperauxiliary gripper 32 moves to the solid line position of FIG. 4,changing the conductive state of the third switch 31 and registeringthat the failure of the apparatus 10 to piece up the end of yarnresulted from breaking of the yarn during the operation of threading andjoining to attenuated roving. The third switch 31 cooperates with thecycle control means in the manner disclosed above with reference to thesecond switch 29. I

The present invention further contemplates that the operation of piecingup an end downmay fail for reasons not necessarily connected withmovement of elements of the automatic yarn piecing apparatus, forexample some failure of the spinning mechanism such as the absence of atraveler from a spinning ring. As will be understood, the absence of atraveler will bring about a failure to piece up due to an inability tothread the length of yarn being used in piecing up through a traveler onthe ring. Suitable means may be provided for indicating any such failureto piece up caused by failure of the spinning mechanism and it iscontemplated that such indicated failures may be monitored and reportedin accordance with this invention.

' As will be understood from the discussion above, the relativeconductive states of the switches 20, 29 and 31 represent dataconcerning the operation of the yarn piecing apparatus 10 which may becommunicated and processed. In particular, it is contemplated that suchdata may be communicated and processed in a manner disclosed in theaforementioned related copending application entitled Textile MachineData Communicating Apparatus. To the end of incorporating herein adisclosure of the communication of such data, reference is had to FIGS.6 and 7 which present a block diagram of such communication andprocessing and a schematicdiagram of a word encoder used in connectionwith such communication.

More particularly, the operation responsive means mounted on the yarnpiecing apparatus 10 for monitor- BEST AVAILABLE COPY 3,680,297

ing at least one operation thereof, such as the switches 20 and 29, isoperatively connected with means 35 for encoding therefrom word signalscorrelated to the states of the monitored operations. Encoded wordsignals are communicated from the apparatus by a transmitter 36 andcooperating receiver 38 remote therefrom. Received word signals are thendeciphered by a signal processing means or word converter 39 operativelyconnected with the receiver 38.

In accordance with the present invention the word encoder 35 employed insuch a combination takes the form generally indicated in FIG. 7, whereeach of the sensing switches 20, 29 and 31 has one contact set thereofoperatively connected with a corresponding one of three R/S flipflops41, 42 and 43 and an alternative contact set thereof operativelyconnected with the signal shifting and gate 44. The signal shifting and"gate 44, on emission of a pulse signal under conditions such as thosemore fully disclosed in the aforementioned related copendingapplication, transfers the states of the R/S flipflops 41, 42, 43 tocorresponding J- K flipflops 47, 48, 49. Data retained in the J-Kflipflops is then made available to the transmitter 36 by being shiftedtherefrom in series.

It will be understood that communication and processing of dataconcerning the cause of a failure to piece up an end down may be carriedout in conjunction with or in addition to communication and processingof data concerning other operations such as the ends down condition of ayarn forming machine.

For purposes of illustration, the present invention has been describedin association with a yarn piecing apparatus of the type disclosed inUS. Pat. No. 3,486,319; however, it will be understood that thisinvention is also applicable to other types of yarn piecing apparatusincluding particularly those apparatus which do not utilize an auxiliarysource of yarn.

Specific examples of such equipment, listed by way of example only andnot by way of limitation, include the arrangements disclosed in US. Pat.No. Re 26,360 to Escursell-Prat; US. Pat. No. 3,373,551 to Gillono etal.; and US. Pat. 3,403,866 to Bell et al. It is to be understood that,as used herein, the term yarn piecing apparatus is directed genericallyto all such apparatus which reinstitute the production of yarn atspindle locations along a textile yarn forming machine where ends aredown and that the term piecing up" is intended to refer generically tosuch reinstitution of yarn production.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation.

Iclaim:

1. In a textile yarn piecing apparatus movable along a textile yarnforming machine for locating ends down thereon and for piecing up suchends down, the combination therewith of means for communicating thecause of a failure to properly piece up an end down comprising:

means on said yarn piecing apparatus for monitoring at least oneoperation thereof and for encoding a signal indicative of a cause offailure of the monitored operation,

means for communicating encoded signals from the yarn piecing apparatus,and

means for decoding communicated signals to identify therefrom the causesof failure. 2. The combination according to claim I wherein saidoperation monitoring means distinguishes between the absence andpresence of a length of yarn sufficient for piecing up an end down onthe textile yarn forming machine.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said operationmonitoring means distinguishes between the breaking and continuedpresence of a length of yarn being used in piecing up an end down on thetextile yarn forming machine.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said operationmonitoring means comprises a plurality of yarn detecting means eachsensing the presence of yarn during a predetermined portion of a cycleof operation of the yarn piecing apparatus.

5. In a textile yarn piecing apparatus movable along a textile yarnforming machine for locating ends down thereon and for piecing up suchends down, the combination therewith of means for communicating thecause of a failure to properly piece up an end down comprising:

means mounted on said yarn piecing apparatus for monitoring at least oneoperation thereof and for signaling certain states of the monitoredoperation,

means operatively connected with said operation monitoring means forencoding therefrom word signals correlated to said states of themonitored operation,

means for communicating encoded word signals from said yarn piecingapparatus, and

means for decoding communicated word signals to identify therefrom saidstates of said operation.

6. In a textile yarn piecing apparatus moving past spindle locations atwhich ends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarnforming machines, the combination therewith of means for continuouslytransmitting and processing data originating from the automatic yarnpiecing apparatus and comprising:

means mounted on said yarn piecing apparatus for monitoring a pluralityof the operations thereof and for signaling certain states of themonitored operations, binary word encoder means moving with saidautomatic yarn piecing apparatus and operatively connected with saidoperation monitoring means for encoding therefrom binary word signalscorrelated to said states of the monitored operations,

transmitter means moving with said automatic yarn piecing apparatus andoperatively connected with said encoder means for transmitting saidbinary word signals, receiver means remote from said automatic yarnpiecing apparatus and operatively communicating with said transmittermeans for receiving transmitted binary word signals, and

signal processing means operatively connected with said receiver meansfor deciphering received binary word signals.

7. A method of obtaining data concerning the operation of an automaticyarn piecing apparatus movable along a textile yarn forming machine,comprising the steps of monitoring at the yarn piecing apparatus thepiecing up of an end down on the textile yarn forming machine whileencoding signals indicative of the occurrence of a cause of failure ofthe monitored operation, communicating encoded signals correlated to thecause of failure of the monitored operation, and

decoding communicated signals to identify therefrom the cause of failureof the monitored operation.

8.'A method according to claim 7 wherein the monitoring of at least oneoperation comprises distinguishing between the absence and presence of alength of yarn sufficient for piecing up an end down.

9. A method according to claim 7 wherein the monitoring of at least oneoperation comprises distinguishing between the breaking and continuedpresence of a length of yarn being used in piecing up an end down.

10. A method according to claim 7 wherein the monitoring at the yarnpiecing apparatus comprises sensing the presence of a length of yarnbeing used in piecing up an end down during a plurality of predeterminedportions of a cycle of operation of the yarn piecing apparatus.

1. In a textile yarn piecing apparatus movable along a textile yarnforming machine for locating ends down thereon and for piecing up suchends down, the combination therewith of means for communicating thecause of a failure to properly piece up an end down comprising: means onsaid yarn piecing apparatus for monitoring at least one operationthereof and for encoding a signal indicative of a cause of failure ofthe monitored operation, means for communicating encoded signals fromthe yarn piecing apparatus, and means for decoding communicated signalsto identify therefrom the causes of failure.
 2. The combinationaccording to claim 1 wherein said operation monitoring meansdistinguishes between the absence and presence of a length of yarnsufficient for piecing up an end down on the textile yarn formingmachine.
 3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said operationmonitoring means distinguishes between the breaking and continuedpresence of a length of yarn being used in piecing up an end down on thetextile yarn forming machine.
 4. The combination according to claim 1wherein said operation monitoring means comprises a plurality of yarndetecting means each sensing the presence of yarn during a predeterminedportion of a cycle of operation of the yarn piecing apparatus.
 5. In atextile yarn piecing apparatus movable along a textile yarn formingmachine for locating ends down thereon and for piecing up such endsdown, the combination therewith of means for communicating the cause ofa failure to properly piece up an end down comprising: means mounted onsaid yarn piecing apparatus for monitoring at least one operationthereof and for signaling certain states of the monitored operation,means operatively connected with said operation monitoring means forencoding therefrom word signals correlated to said states of themonitored operation, means for communicating encoded word signals fromsaid yarn piecing apparatus, and means for decoding communicated wordsignals to identify therefrom said states of said operation.
 6. In atextile yarn piecing apparatus moving past spindle locations at whichends of yarn normally are formed along one or more textile yarn formingmachines, the combination therewith of means for continuouslytransmitting and processing data originating from the automatic yarnpiecing apparatus and comprising: means mounted on said yarn piecingapparatus for monitoring a plurality of thE operations thereof and forsignaling certain states of the monitored operations, binary wordencoder means moving with said automatic yarn piecing apparatus andoperatively connected with said operation monitoring means for encodingtherefrom binary word signals correlated to said states of the monitoredoperations, transmitter means moving with said automatic yarn piecingapparatus and operatively connected with said encoder means fortransmitting said binary word signals, receiver means remote from saidautomatic yarn piecing apparatus and operatively communicating with saidtransmitter means for receiving transmitted binary word signals, andsignal processing means operatively connected with said receiver meansfor deciphering received binary word signals.
 7. A method of obtainingdata concerning the operation of an automatic yarn piecing apparatusmovable along a textile yarn forming machine, comprising the steps ofmonitoring at the yarn piecing apparatus the piecing up of an end downon the textile yarn forming machine while encoding signals indicative ofthe occurrence of a cause of failure of the monitored operation,communicating encoded signals correlated to the cause of failure of themonitored operation, and decoding communicated signals to identifytherefrom the cause of failure of the monitored operation.
 8. A methodaccording to claim 7 wherein the monitoring of at least one operationcomprises distinguishing between the absence and presence of a length ofyarn sufficient for piecing up an end down.
 9. A method according toclaim 7 wherein the monitoring of at least one operation comprisesdistinguishing between the breaking and continued presence of a lengthof yarn being used in piecing up an end down.
 10. A method according toclaim 7 wherein the monitoring at the yarn piecing apparatus comprisessensing the presence of a length of yarn being used in piecing up an enddown during a plurality of predetermined portions of a cycle ofoperation of the yarn piecing apparatus.